This is Black Hoof - the finale. As the curtain draws, I know that even if I scream encore the cast has gone into hiding and will reappear playing different roles in BHCo come spring.
Think autograph is to signature dishes at the Hoof. With the exception of a few dishes such as the Ploughman's and the Granola.... I have been lucky enough to have gotten "autographed" by he plethora of stars reigning from the Tongue Grilled Cheese to the unforgettable Pork Belly Pastrami (cue Nat King Cole).
We arrived at 9:30 in anticipation of longer than normal waits...but surprisingly nabbed a spot at the bar in the first sitting. Yay!
We ordered the Bone Marrow, Pork Belly Pastrami, Spot Prawns and Grits, Hay Ham, Hoof Crepes, Tongue Grilled Cheese and Suckling Pork Benny.
The bone marrow fell short of what I expected from reading others' rave reviews. While it was an experience, I found it to be lacking in flavor of any kind but it was buttery goodness!
I have never tried grits before but I think I got the best first-hand experience...like never having been in an airplane before and flying first class the first time. It had a texture that was somewhere between a porridge and a potato puree. Very creamy! The eggs were a little overpoached for me as the egg whites were a bit rubbery in texture for my tastebuds. The BC prawns were a little smaller than what I was anticipating (as the barrista told me they were similar to tiger prawns and those are massive buggers). Nonetheless the shrimp had a certain oceanic freshness to them (albeit being a bit heavy in the salt). The sweetness of the pork belly pastrami bits which were accented with maple syrup balanced out the salty flavor of the dish.
So I can now say I have no regrets as I got to experience the Hoof Cafe during it's closing week. Until we meet again...